Leonardo Pavoletti was the hero for Cagliari in their afternoon clash with Frosinone, scoring two late goals to complete a sensational comeback in a seven-goal thriller.
The Giallazzurri have started their first season back in the topflight well under coach Eusebio Di Francesco, picking up wins over Atalanta, Sassuolo and Hellas Verona, putting them comfortably in the midtable.
Things have been far more difficult for fellow returnees Cagliari, who’ve only managed to pick up three points from their first nine league outings, leaving them rock bottom of the Serie A table under Claudio Ranieri.
After a relatively balanced start to the first half, Juventus loanee Matias Soule put the away side 1-0 up after 23 minutes by nicking possession, playing a quick one-two and calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
The 20-year-old talent netted his brace in the 37th minute, silkily dribbling through the Cagliari defence before again placing his shot with precision, doubling Frosinone’s lead.
Frosinone found their third just after the half time whistle thanks to Marco Brescianini, who cleverly dribbled into the edge of the penalty area before striking a low shot that crept into the far corner, leaving the home side exasperated.
Impressively, Cagliari refused to lose faith and began venturing forward to try and close the deficit. Gaetano Oristanio’s curling shot clawed one back for Ranieri’s side in the 72nd minute and Antoine Makoumbou made it 3-2 just four minutes later after Frosinone were caught trying to play out from the back.
Tensions were high for the remainder of the match and Cagliari thought they’d been awarded a penalty in the 78th minute, but a VAR check confirmed that no foul had been committed by goalkeeper Stefano Turati.
Frosinone put the ball into the back of the net twice in the final 10 minutes but both times the offside flag was raised, leaving them frustrated as the home side continued pushing for an equaliser.
Cagliari were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 94th minute, when veteran Leonardo Pavoletti headed home the key goal, igniting celebrations in the stands as the home side made it 3-3.
Unbelievably, Pavoletti became the hero of Sardinia after poking home a late winner in the 96th minute. The Unipol Domus fell silent as a VAR check was carried out to check for offside, but incredibly the goal stood and Cagliari secured their first victory of the season.
The 34-year-old also completed a goal line clearance in the dying seconds of the match to guarantee the victory, instantly cementing his place as a fan favourite.
Player statistic
| 23' |  |
Matìas Soulé (Assist: Reinier) | ||
| 25' |  |
Simone Romagnoli | ||
| Marco Mancosu |  |
30' | ||
| 37' | |
Matìas Soulé (Assist: Reinier) |
| 49' | |
Marco Brescianini (Assist: Pol Lirola) | ||
| Matteo Prati | |
58' | ||
| Gaetano Oristanio (Assist: Leonardo Pavoletti) |
|
72' | ||
| Antoine Makoumbou | |
76' | ||
| 85' | |
Mehdi Bourabia | ||
| 87' | |
Caleb Okoli | ||
| Leonardo Pavoletti (Assist: Nicolas Viola) |
|
90+4' | ||
| Leonardo Pavoletti (Assist: Alberto Dossena) |
|
90+6' | ||
| 90+5' | |
Riccardo Marchizza |
Match statistic
